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| Filipino waiter and waitress (archive) |
The emigration of the population is the primary factor contributing to the shortage of human resources in the bar and restaurant industry, which has 15,000 vacant positions, Monitor reports.
The Monitor was informed by the Association of Bars and Restaurants that many service businesses have been looking for Filipino workers for the past three months due to the severe shortage of workers. The association asserts that 15,000 open positions must be filled in order for the sector to return to normal.
Up until 2019, about 50,000 people worked in bars and restaurants, according to INSTAT data, but the industry is thought to be highly informal.
During the summer, the sector also experienced a shortage of workers, forcing many coastal bars and restaurants to hire workers from neighboring countries like Montenegro, Kosovo, or North Macedonia and raise wages for their own employees.
The Association of Bars and Restaurants also warns that prices will rise significantly starting in March as a result of rising costs associated with wage increases and the cost of imported coffee or spirits.
"Up until this point, the cost of coffee in bars has gone up by 10 to 20 Lek. Due to the high cost of employee salaries, it is anticipated that prices will rise significantly beginning in March. Due to labor shortages, wage growth is extremely strong. There are no longer waiters or cleaners with salaries below 40,000 lek, as was the case in the past in bars and restaurants. All of these costs will be deducted from the prices over time.
Due to the rise in the cost of building materials, even investments for bar renovation or purchase have increased by 30 to 40 percent. "On the other hand, importers of coffee, tea, and other goods have announced a price increase of 7-8% more than in previous years," the representatives of the Association of Bars and Restaurants emphasized.
From 23 thousand in 2015, there are now 17 thousand bars in the country. Bars are the second most popular activity in the country, after minority businesses. The data from the INSTAT business register show that 854 food and beverage services activities were shut down in 2021, a 5.2% decrease.